Machine for straightening rails



June 10, 1924. I 1,497,385

' G. E. SAINSBURY v MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENTYNG RAILS Filed June 1-. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .192 ve/z i 02;

June 10, 1924. 1,497,385

' G. E. SAINSBURY MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENTNG RAILS 'iled June 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i N k Patented June 10 1924..

STATES GRANT E. SAINSBURY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR STBAIGrH'IEI\TING RAILS.

Application filed .Lune 1, 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GRANT E. SAINSBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Straighten ing Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for straightening metal bars and rails of all kinds, but more particularly railroad rails.

One of its principal objects is to construct a machine of this character in which the various parts thereof are interchangeable and universally adjustable for bending or straightening tlie rails in both horizontal and vertical directions.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the straightening devices thereof so that the machine is capable of correcting both high and low rails without chang ing the normal operative position of such devices.

Further objects are to provide a railstraightening machine which is simple, durable and compact in construction, which is reliable and efficient in operation, and which is not liable to get out of order.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line 4 -4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6+6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is-a fragmentary end view 'of the machine, showing the type of rolls used for straightening the rails in a horizontal direction.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

In its general organization, the machine comprises two sets of supporting members or track-ways, oppositely-facing frame-sections or standards adjustably mounted on the track-ways and each provided straightening roller, means for rotating the several rollers, and means for guiding the railroad-rails through the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, the numerals 10, 11 indicate the two sets of longitudinal track-ways'which are arranged in Serial No. 642,775.

. spaced parallel relation and are preferably Mounted on each set of tracks is a row or series of upright frame-sections or standards 15 which are preferably arranged in spaced relation crosswise of said tracks and are adjustable both transversely and longitudinally thereof. The standards on one set of tracks are located opposite the spaces between the standards on the other set of tracks. In the drawings, three of such standards are mounted on one set of tracks and two are mounted on the other set, but it is to be understood that any number of standards may be employed which are arranged alternately, as shown in Fig. 1. On their opposing inner sides and near their upper ends, the standards of one row or series are provided with vertically-disposed straightenin rollers16, l7 and 18, while the standards 0' the companion row are provided with similar rollers 19 and 20, the rails to be straightened passing between these sets of rollers. Each standard carries but one roller and for this purpose its inner side is preferably bifurcated to form a recess 21 in which the roller is arranged, the operating side of the roller extending a suitable distance beyond the inner face of the standard, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper and lower ends of each roller are journaled in bearing boxes 22, 23, which are removably seated in vertically-alined guideways 25 formed in the arms 26, 27 of the bifurcated portion of the respective standard. At its upper and lower ends, eachbearing boX is provided on opposite sides with lateral flanges 28 which engage oppositely-facing shoulders 29 in the opposing side walls of the corresponding guideway, whereby displacement of the roller in a vertical direction is prevented. Each straightening roller is held against horizontal inward displacement by a cover plate 30 fastened to the inner-side of each arm of the standard. For the purpose of taking up wear of the roller, shims 31 may be interposed between the bearing boxes and the opposing race walls of the guideways 24, 25, and each cover plate 30 is provided with a horizontal adjusting screw '32 arranged to abut against the front side of the corresponding bearing box. The straightening rollers together with] their bearing boxes are each removable as a unit from the standard by simply disconnecting the cover plates 30, thereby facilitating the substitution of roller-units of various sizes and shapes to suit different kinds of work.

Journaled in bearings '33 formed in the standards 15 of one row, is a horizontal driving shaft 34 provided with bevel gears 35 which mesh with similar gears 36 fixed on the lower ends of the roller spindles 37. By this arrangement, motion is transmitted to one set of straightening rollers, whereby the railroad-rails are propelled through the machine during the straightening operation. Stop collars 38, 39 are applied to the opposite ends of the shaft adjacent the end bearings 33 to prevent longltudinal displacement thereof. In order to permit the roller-units containing the gears 36 to be readily removed when desired, one of the shaft-collars, say the collar 39, is held on the shaft by a set screw 40, which, when loosened, enables said shaft to be shifted in a direction to disengage its gears 35 from the roller gears 36.

The standards 15 are adjustable lengthwise of the tracks 10, 11, and transversely thereof toward and from one another to adapt the machine to railroad rails of different sizes. For this purpose, the base 41 of each standard is provided with transverse slots 42 through which, and the slots 14 of the respective tracks, vertical clamping bolts 43 pass. Depending from the opposite ends of the stamlard-bas'e are flanges 44 which carry transverse adjusting screws 45 arranged to abut against the opposing outer sides of the respective tracks, shown in Fig. 3. Upon loosening the clamping bolts 43 and adjusting the screws 45 in one direction or the other, the respective standard is moved transversely of the base-rails. In effecting the longitudinal adjustment, it is only necessary to loosen the adjusting screws and the nuts of the clamping bolts and shift the standard in the desired direction lengthwise of the tracks.

Any suitable means may be employed for supporting and propelling the railroadrails to and from the machine. Those shown in the drawings, by way'of example, comprise-supporting tables 46 located at the opposite ends of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and Q. Mounted on each table are a plurality of alternately and transversely arranged feed rolls 47 and guide rollers 47 having intermeshing gears 48 and 48 driven from any available source of power, not shown, The driving gears 48 are fixed on their rolls 47 while the gears 48 are loosely mounted on their rolls 47 and serve as idlers between a pair of the driving gears. For bending or straightening a railroadrail vertically, such as a so-called high orlow rail, the rolls are inclined, as

shown in Fig. 3, whereby the rail is sustained on its side in a substantially horizontal position; To prevent the rails from sliding downwardly on these feed rolls, a longitudinal guide bar 49 is mounted on each table above the rolls, with which the base portions of said rails are adapted to engage as shown in Fig. 6. For straightening the rails horizontally, the feed rolls may be horizontal, inasmuch as in this case the rails are passed through the machine in an upright position.

F or the purpose of supporting the railroad-rails while being operated upon by the straightening rollers, a horizontal beam 50 is provided which is supported at its ends on cross bars 51 secured to the inner ends of the table or other adjacent fixed part of the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The rail to be straightened is placed on the feed rolls 47 at the front end of the machine and propelled thereby to the straightening rollers. If the rail is a socalled low rail, it is acted upon by the rollers 16, 17 and 19 to bend the same into proper shape, while if the rail is a so-called high rail, it is acted upon by the rollers 17, 19 and 20. After being operated upon by these rollers, the rail is delivered onto the feed rolls at the rear end of the machine and propelled thereby to a receiving platform or to a similar machine for straightening the rail horizontally. The roller 18 located at one side of the rear end of the machine serves to prevent a high rail, when operated upon by the rollers 17, 19 and 20, from being bent in a direction away from the rollers 19 and 20, thereby insuring the rail being delivered from the machine properly straightened. In like manner, the last roller 20 on the opposite side of the machine serves to prevent a low rail from being bent 7in a direction away from the rollers 16, 1

In adapting the machine for use with railroad rails of diflerent sizes or of peculiar curvature, the standards 15 are adjusted transversely and longitudinally, respectively, in the manner heretofore described.

In Fig. 7, I have shown the standards properly set for straightening a railroadrail in a horizontal direction. In this-case, the straightening rollers 52 are reduced in diameter at their lower ends, as shown at 53, for accommodating the base portions of the rails, the heads thereof being located between the upper main portions of said rollers.

In actual practice, two machines of this character are arranged alongside each other, one machine for straightening the rails vertically and the other for straightening them horizontally, it being possible to operate upon various sized rollers without the necessity of changing the rolls on either machine. In adapting each machine to rollers of different sizes, it is only necessary to adjnstone set of standards relatively to the other, it being preferred to set the latter permanently in a fixed position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two sets of trackways, two rows of oppositely-facing frame-sections arranged in spaced relation on said trackways, the sections of one row being located opposite the spaces of the companion row, straightening rollers journaled on the opposing sides of said frame-sections, the rollers of one row having gears, and a driving shaft journaled 011 the sections of such last-named row and having gears meshing with those of the rollers.

2. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two sets of trackways having slots extending lengthwise thereof, two rows of oppositely facing frame-sections mounted on said trackways, means engaging said slots for adjustably clamping the frame-sections thereto, and straightening rollers journaled on said! frame-sections.

A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two sets of trackways having slots extending lengthwise thereof, two rows of oppositely facing frame-sections mounted on said trackways, means engaging said slots for adjustably clamping the frame-sections thereto, means carried by said frame-sections and engaging the opposing sides of the respective trackways for adjusting the former transversely of the latter, and straightening rollers journaled on said frame sections.

4. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two rows of oppositely facing frame-sections, vertical straightening-rollers journaled on the opposing sides of said sections, means at the ends of the rows of frame-sections for feeding and delivering the rails to and from the straightening rollers, and means independent of the rollers and located between the latter for supporting the rails as they pass through the machine.

5. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two rows of oppositely-facing frame-sections, each frame having upper and lower alining guideways, straightening rollers removably mounted on said frame-sections and having bearing boxes at their ends arranged to engage the corresponding guideways in said sections, and means for rotating said rollers.

6. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two rows of oppositely facing frame-sections, vertical straightening rollers journaled on the opposing sides of said sections between which the rails pass, and transverse feed rolls for delivering the rails to said straightening rollers, said feed rolls being inclined to sustain the rails on their side in a substantially horizontal position.

7. A machine for straightening railroadrails and the like, comprising two rows of oppositely facing frame-sections, vertical straightening rollers journaled on the opposing sides of said sections between which the rails pass, transverse feed-rolls for delivering the rails to said straightening rollers, said feed rolls being inclined to sustain the rails on their side in a substantially horizontal position, and a longitudinal guide bar for the rails mounted above said feed rolls.

GRANT E. SAINSBURY. 

